Generally, a fluorescent lamp is illuminated by being applied with an alternating current of about 100 to 1,500V. On the other hand, a tubular light emitting diode (LED) lamp is developed to substitute the conventional fluorescent lamp, and an alternating is current is input to a switching mode power supply (SMPS) to be converted to a direct current, and then the converted direct current is applied to the tubular LED, and thereby the light emitting diode emits light using the direct current.
As such, since the LED is a semiconductor using a direct current, and life span of the LED may be decreased or malfunction may occur when an alternating current which is generally applied to a fluorescent lamp is applied thereto.
For example, if a base which is similar to a base of a fluorescent lamp is used to the LED lamp, a general user may confuse the LED lamp with the fluorescent lamp and thus connects the LED lamp to a socket for a fluorescent lamp, and this may cause problems. In order to solve this problem, a method of forming a base for the LED lamp to be differentiable from a conventional base of a fluorescent lamp has been introduced.
That is, if an LED lamp is used to a conventional ballast stabilizer of a fluorescent lamp, an LED lamp is supplied with an alternating current of 100 to 1,500V from the ballast stabilizer, so life span of an LED lamp which is configured to operate under low voltage may be reduced or malfunction may occur, or may be damaged or may cause fire. As such, with the use of an LED lamp, safety measures are required.